[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 51 (Friday, March 22, 2024)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E284]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             RECOGNIZING REVEREND EMMETT SCOTT ANITON, JR.

                                 ______
                                 

                      HON. SANFORD D. BISHOP, JR.

                               of georgia

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, March 22, 2024

  Mr. BISHOP of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I stand before you today to offer 
my heartfelt congratulations and well wishes to an exceptional mentor, 
devoted leader, Vietnam War Veteran, faithful servant of God, and 
cherished longtime friend, Reverend Dr. Emmett Scott Aniton, Jr., as he 
concludes his 45 years of service at Friendship Missionary Baptist 
Church. A special celebration marking his 45th Anniversary and 
retirement from preaching the Gospel will take place on April 7, 2024 
at the church in Columbus, Georgia.
  Born on March 8, 1940, in Oneonta, Alabama to Mr. Emmett Scott 
Aniton, Sr. and Mrs Estella Aniton Woods, Rev. Aniton graduated from 
Southside High School in Etowah County, Alabama before earning his 
Bachelor of Theology from Selma University in 1964. Following his 
service in Vietnam, he furthered his education at Alabama A&M 
University, obtaining a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology.
  Having answered the call to preach, Rev. Aniton began his ministry at 
First Baptist Church in Jacksonville, Alabama, where he served his 
congregation faithfully. In November 1978, he accepted the call to 
pastor at Friendship Missionary Baptist Church in Columbus, Georgia, 
where he has led with passion and dedication since April 1979. Under 
his guidance, the church has flourished spiritually, numerically, and 
in its physical facilities.
  Rev. Aniton's impact extends beyond the church walls, with his 
involvement in various community organizations and leadership roles. He 
has been recognized with awards such as the NAACP Religious Affairs 
Award and the Rainbow PUSH Coalition Lifetime Achievement Award, among 
others. His commitment to service and leadership exemplifies the quote 
by George Washington Carver when he said ``How far you go in life 
depends on your being tender with the young, compassionate with the 
aged, sympathetic with the striving, and tolerant of the weak and the 
strong. Because someday in your life you will have been all of these. 
Rev. Aniton has used his ministry to reach people from all walks of 
life. Spurred by the example of Jesus, he has used his life's work to 
help the ``Least of These.''
  In reflecting on his achievements, Rev. Aniton acknowledges the 
unwavering support of his late wife, Mrs. Dorothy Rigby Aniton, his 
children, grandchildren, and extended family. Personally, I have been 
blessed to benefit from Rev. Aniton's wisdom and friendship for over 
four decades. He never told me what I wanted to hear; he always told me 
what he felt I needed to hear. Rev. Aniton has inspired and mentored 
many with his sterling example of what a man of God should look like. 
He is truly a man after God's own heart.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues in The U.S. House of Representatives 
to join me, my wife Vivian, and the 765,000 people of Georgia's Second 
Congressional District in expressing our deepest gratitude and best 
wishes to Reverend Dr. Emmett Scott Aniton, Jr. as he embarks on a 
well-deserved retirement after 45 years of devoted service at 
Friendship Missionary Baptist Church. May God continue to bless him and 
his loved ones as he enters this new chapter in his life.

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